This blog continues the discussion that we began with Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics (Rowman and Littlefield, 2009).The latest book in this series is Defying the Odds: the 2016 Elections and American Politics.

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Defying the Odds

New book about the 2016 election.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Kavanaugh and the Midterms

More Americans oppose than support the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, a new USA TODAY/Ipsos Public Affairs Poll finds, an unprecedented level of disapproval for a nominee to the nation's high court.

Amid allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh, those surveyed say by 40 percent to 31 percent that the Senate shouldn't vote to approve his nomination, the first time a plurality of Americans have opposed a Supreme Court nominee since polling on the issue began. Nonetheless, they also are inclined to believe he will, in the end, be confirmed: Just 11 percent predict he won't; 45 percent say he will.

The findings underscore the serious political stakes – and the potential for blowback in the midterm elections now little more than six weeks away.

Would you like to see the Senate vote in favor of […] serving on the Supreme Court, or not?

Vote in favor

Not vote in favor

Margin

%

%

pct. pts.

Brett Kavanaugh

39

42

-3

Neil Gorsuch

45

32

+13

Merrick Garland

52

29

+23

Elena Kagan

46

36

+10

Sonia Sotomayor

55

36

+19

Samuel Alito

54

30

+24

Harriet Miers

42

43

-1

John Roberts

60

26

+34

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

53

14

+39

Clarence Thomas

58

30

+28

Robert Bork

38

35

+3

Reading for Kavanaugh is latest. Gallup
did not measure support for the nominations of Anthony Kennedy, David
Souter or Stephen Breyer. Gallup measured support for Neil Gorsuch,
Merrick Garland and Ruth Bader Ginsburg just once, shortly after each
was first nominated.